CR Alternates: Return Of The Blood Lord
by CrimsonRev
Summary: Ichigo has always been an odd kid, why with his slight fascination with blood, many would agree; but what if it was the key to something greater? Something... Primordial? "You... you shall inherit my legacy... Revenant"
1. Embers of Revenance

**CR: Hello everyone and welcome to this new Bleach project called "Return Of The Blood Lord".**

**Alex: And once again, you're not focusing on your other stories.**

**CR: I'll have you know, I was in fact working on the rewrite of the Chapter 2 of Union Of Wills and I'm almost done with it. Soon I shall be able to progress with it as I've managed to plan a good part of it now.**

**Alex: You're still a procrastinator in the end.**

**CR: I know, I know, but I promised myself that at least by June I should be able to be more active since I'm planning to get a computer soon.**

**Alex: But don't you have like multiple computers around you?**

**CR: Not when one is so laggy and the other one is at work. Besides, writing on a phone sucks ass.**

**Alex: Fair enough. So, what's this story about?**

**CR: Oh, well, all I will say is that this story will belong to the "Crimson Revenant Alternates" Saga, which is where I will classify most of my fics that stray from my Canon for the "Crimson Revenant" Saga. I have two fics like that in the form of "The Broken Revenant" and "Requiem of a Memory".**

**Alex: I see... so, what's the premise of this fic?**

**CR: This is my own take at the "Shattered Shaft Deviation" trope, which will mostly involve you.**

**Alex: Me? What's my role in this?**

**CR: Well then, why don't we read and find out?**

**Also, just a fair warning for everyone: I do not own by any chance the Manga and Anime of Bleach, they belong to Tite Kubo, all I own is the changes of the plot and Alex.**

**Another thing, this fic will contain graphic content such as sexual content, heavy violence, a bit of gore in some parts, gender benders and a few heavy topics.**

**I won't say that those below the age of 18 should leave, because I started reading these things when I was 14**, **so I'll just say this: Viewer's discretion is advised.**

"Speech"

_"Zanpakutou __Speech/Flashbacks"_

_'Thoughts'_

_"Shikai Release"_

**"Hollow Speech"**

**_"Kidö Incantation/Special Ability"_**

**_"Bankai Release_****_"_**

**_"SCREAMS"_**

**That is all.**

**_On With The Show_**

* * *

_"Even when a soul fades, there will always be a small part that will still exist" — Crimson Revenant_

* * *

Ichigo was hurting.

It was obvious as to why, since he was laying on a pit, bound by a Bakudö casted by the weird shopkeeper's assistant, as his chain was quickly eating itself; oddly enough, the pain felt odd to him, for most it would be horrible to feel such a pain, and for some it would be like heaven, for him, it's almost like when he would wake up sore from working out too much. Painful, but oddly pleasant, in his opinion.

Ichigo has always been an odd kid, often than not, after his mother's death, he felt as if a part of him had left with her and so his soul had tried to replace with something else.

That just happened to be his fascination for blood.

Ever since he had been harassed by thugs, he would often than not end up sometimes with some bloody bruises; the first time he saw his bleeding wound, he was... curious. Whenever he touched it, it stung, it felt unpleasant, though, he did not dislike the feeling; when his fingers became coated in blood, he was mesmerized, it felt warm and sticky, it had a strong smell too, which made him wonder how it would taste, so he put his bloody fingers in his mouth.

The taste was strong, pangy, like iron, but at the same time, it was somewhat sweet, like eating an apple.

He liked it.

Ever since then, whenever he would end up bruised because of his fights, he would end up licking the blood that would come out from his wounds, it usually stung, but over time, it started feeling good; Ichigo would never openly admit it, but he knows that he had developed some sort of masochism. Also, due to his fascination with blood, he had also developed a newfound love for the color red, even more so when it was mixed with black or white, it made the red stand out even more.

That's why the pain of his Soul Chain eating itself was not bothering him so much, but now it was not the time to get lost in the bittersweet feeling.

_'Alright, I don't know just how much time left do I have, but I just don't know what to do; Hat n' Clogs said that I must find my Shinigami powers and awaken them in order to escape, but how do I find them in the first place, besides, weren't they destroyed when that prick Byakuya nearly killed me?'_ He silently wondered to himself, looking around as he tried to think of a way to get out of this hole.

He knows that he's brash and impatient, but he also knew that being a knucklehead wouldn't do this time, after all, Ichigo could also be logical and smart whenever he wants to be, that's how he's still in the Top 10 of his class after all; sadly though, his academic achievements are overshadowed by his reputation as a cocky delinquent.

He hates the fact that people just won't listen to him when he tells them that thugs just come looking for him because of his natural hair color. Oh well, as he usually says, let them be the ignorant fucks that they are.

Soon, Ichigo noticed a head peeking out from the entrance of the shaft and squinted his eyes to try and get a better look; the figure then jumped down as his form was revealed, which turned out to be the little runt that had been tormenting him ever since he fell down this hole, Jinta, if he remembered correctly.

"Heya! I brought you some food here, thought you might be hungry since it's been a while" Jinta told him with a sardonic smirk on his face, making Ichigo narrow his eyes in irritation.

"Yeah? Well, I don't need it, see? The chain's still long" He bluffed, and he was sure as hell that the rascal knew it, after all, his Soul Chain only had a few links left.

"Whatever suits your fancy, dude, I'll just leave it here... You never know how long it's been up here" The kid said with mock concern as he put the tray on the floor, Ichigo however, saw a chance to see how much time he had left.

"Say... how long have I been here?" He asked calmly, already knowing that he would not like the answer.

True to his word, he did not like it... at, all. "You've been in the Hole of Despair for about 70 hours... if it doesn't go well, then someone should be a Hollow real soon. Also, keep in mind, it is often said that the pain of the last link being corroded is the worst of all" Jinta responded, this time with a sadistic smile as he started laughing and walked away from the hole.

The whole time, Ichigo's eyebrow was twitching. _'If I ever become a Hollow, then I'll be glad with just devouring that little fucktard, violently, before I'm purified'_ It also turns out that Ichigo can be quite sadistic when he wants to.

Groaning in annoyance, Ichigo mentally prepared himself for the pain that would inevitably come; he knew he could do nothing to escape the shaft, not only was the hole too deep, but he could not move his arms either because of the Bakudö. However, the small masochistic part of him was wondering how the pain will feel like.

It did not take long before he got his answer.

Once the final link was devoured, his body started stinging, as if he was being constantly scratched by sharp nails, but the worst came from his face; it felt as if his face was covered by a boiling wet rag that got progressively hotter, and his throat was throwing up lava, as a strange liquid emerged from his mouth and started covering his face; the pain was more than enough to make him scream, part of his vision now being covered by the bony mask that was forming.

**_"GRAHHHHHGH! RRRRAAGHH! YYRRRAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"_**

* * *

Meanwhile, Kisuke, Jinta and Ururu were watching with solemn expressions on top of the shaft as Ichigo's blood curdling screams echoed through the pit. The red haired kid shivered in discomfort as another scream tore out of the orange haired teen's throat.

"So... he's really turning into a Hollow, huh?" He asked the pale blonde male, with said man staring impassively down the hole.

Ururu, however, started feeling bad for Ichigo, as her melancholic expression became even more profound; just as she was about to jump down in order to help him, the shopkeeper held his hand up. "Hold on" He ordered, making the kids' eyes widen.

"Bu-but-" Ururu tried to speak, but Kisuke interrupted her.

"Look at him" He said as he pointed down. Both children looked down and shivered a bit, seeing how Ichigo was twitching erratically from the pain. "Usually, whenever a soul turns into a Hollow, their bodies explode first and then they regroup, forming a different structure. Ichigo is not following the same pattern; his body remains the same, and yet, his transformation is starting from the mask; this means that Ichigo must be subconsciously resisting it, which also means that there's still a chance for him to awaken his Shinigami powers, but with each second that passes by, the chances are decreasing" He explained, as Ichigo's face was slowly but surely being covered more and more by the mask, making Urahara hold his hat with a tense expression.

_'I pray that you're able to push through this, Ichigo, otherwise, everything will be for naught'_ He thought, hoping that his friend's son would succeed, or else he would fail, not only as a mentor, but as a "godfather".

After a while, Ichigo's mask was almost complete, but just before the pain became too much, he blacked out.

* * *

Ichigo groaned, as he slowly moved his body bit by bit as he recovered the feeling in it; eventually, he opened his eyes, only to be met by the sight of a wasteland; the skies were cloudy, filled with shades of black, grey, orange and red, the ground was asymmetrical, filled with ups and downs that were covered by ashes. He couldn't help but wonder... "Where am I?" He asked aloud, obviously not expecting an answer.

"In your Inner World, Ichigo" Another voice responded, much to his surprise, as he turned around to look at where the voice originated from, and was surprised by what he saw.

Standing a few feet behind him, was a young man, who was approximately 6'5" feet tall, with messy black hair with a small mullet as well as two big strands of hair framing his forehead, its tips as well as the back of his hair being colored crimson, with two crimson lightnings running along the sides of his hair. His face is lean, with 8 whiskers marking his cheeks (4 for each cheek).

He's wearing a white tank top with 4 thick red lines running down, almost forming an 'X'; atop it he's wearing a black trench coat with two tails that reaches down to his ankles, with the same thick lines running down the torso, while on the back the lines reach a red circle with four scythes connected together forming a lemniscate (or Infinity Symbol). The shoulders are red while the forearms down to the sleeves have three red 'X's connected to each other.

He was also wearing a pair of black cargo pants which are tucked in a pair of black boots that have red lines running on the sides, they also have red soles; and lastly, he carries a sheathed Nodachi on his left hip.

Ichigo's body automatically turned around, facing the young man as his eyes narrowed.

"Who are you?" He asked, his voice sounding a bit deeper in order to show that he was serious, but all that he got was a sardonic smile from the other male.

"If you must know, Ichigo, my name is..." Whatever it was that the man had said, Ichigo could not hear it, since his ears suddenly started ringing loudly, making him cover his ears with his hands as he grunted in pain.

"Rargh! What was that?!" The teen said loudly as his hearing was still a bit wonky. This had the effect of the man's smile leaving his face, his mouth now set on a frown as he sighed.

"So it seems that you're not ready to hear my name yet, a pity" The man shook his head dejectedly, but then he looked at Ichigo intently. "Regardless, I know what is it that you seek" The man confirmed, and Ichigo's eyes were now flickering with hope at the end of the man's statement.

"You know where my Shinigami powers are? But, I thought that the prick Byakuya destroyed them" He spoke, though the man's face now had a tick mark when the elder Kuchiki's name was mentioned.

"That will be explained at a later date, right now, I'm afraid to say that we don't have much time to waste" The male said as suddenly, the environment started slowly fading away, making Ichigo panic a bit.

"What's going on?" He wondered aloud, with the man now having a serious expression.

"Your Inner World is crumbling, Ichigo, the more time we waste here, the slimmer the chances of you recovering your Shinigami powers become" He pointed out.

Ichigo was now fully nervous, as he tried to come up with a way to find his powers, until...

_"You really are a buffoon you know that? Shinigami usually have a quite distinctive Reishi Essence, you can often tell because their Reiraku are red"_

_'That's right! Reiraku! For once, I am grateful, pencil, you might've saved me now'_ Ichigo thought with glee, until he got serious and closed his eyes, focusing on his Reiatsu as multiple ribbons started appearing around him, even as the Inner World faded a bit more; when he opened his eyes, he was met with multiple ribbons floating around him. Most were white, with a few exceptions, obviously.

He quickly discarded the light blue ribbon, recognizing it as Ishida's Reiraku, as well as the black one with a bit of maroon in it, indicating it to be Chad's, as well as an orange ribbon, which he quickly identified it as Inoue's; this had only left a red ribbon, which made Ichigo smile.

_'__Bingo' _He thought as he grasped the ribbon, which had suddenly elongated as it went somewhere; Ichigo followed the ribbon, holding onto it as he kept walking, until he was met with a dead end, with said ribbon continuing through the wall. However, when Ichigo approached the wall, the part surrounding the ribbon opened up like a box, revealing that the ribbon was wrapped around a hilt, or more specifically, the hilt of his old sword.

"Good, you've found your powers" The man's voice suddenly echoed, as he then appeared beside Ichigo. The orange haired teen was now wondering what he needed to do now, fortunately for him, the man was quick to continue.

"Now pull them out, quickly, before it's too late" He said evenly, though there was a hint of urgency behind it, something that Ichigo noticed and nodded wordlessly.

Without hesitation, he grasped the hilt with both hands, and tugged on it, _hard._ The sword was deeply embedded into the wall, but Ichigo wouldn't give up; so, he put one of his feet on the wall and tugged harder, with the sword now moving, inch by inch, Ichigo would pull out. When Ichigo managed to pull out the sword completely, he saw the man smile once again, as everything turned white.

* * *

"— I don't know if he's going to succeed, boss! The transformation is almost complete!" Was the exclamation that came from Tessai, Kisuke's childhood friend and assistant.

The bucket hat wearing man stared impassively down the hole, and sighed in resignation as he saw the mask in Ichigo's face now being completed.

"... Do it" He gave the okay, and Tessai nodded.

Quickly slamming his hands on the ground, he chanted. **_"Bakudö _****_no Tsukumo Dainibani... Manjikin!"_** As he said that, the winds started picking up as Reiatsu started flooding the area.

**_"Shokyoku — Shiryü!" _**As he chanted this, a white cloth, nearly reminiscent of bandages, surrounded a nearly Hollowfied Ichigo's writhing body, his screams now turning into inhuman roars.

**_"Nikyoku — Hyakurensan!" _**After that, dozens of bolts that were shaped like blades started surrounding Ichigo, until they all stabbed him in multiple places, which made Ichigo roar even louder from the pain.

**_"Shükyoku — Bankin Taihö!" _**And with a last chant, a massive cube of steel was formed above Ichigo. It then started falling quickly, with everyone watching solemnly as the cube was about to crush him.

However, as the gigantic cube touched Ichigo's body, his irises had gleamed red, then the pit exploded outwards as a torrent of black, white and red Reiatsu emerged from it.

Urahara, Tessai, Jinta and Ururu were forced to jump back in order to avoid the sudden wave of Reiatsu, as the kids were now feeling it weight down on their shoulders; when the shopkeeper noticed this, he quickly exerted some of his own in order to alleviate their burden, and after a while, the torrent of Reiatsu faded, which had kicked up a lot of dust in the process. There was a tense silence, as everyone tried to look past the dust cloud that had formed, until they saw a shape becoming more visible from behind it; the sound of footsteps could be heard, as the figure then emerged from it, revealing it to be Ichigo, now with some notable differences.

Now, Ichigo seemed to be wearing a white tank top that was clinging to his fit physique, over it there was a black, sleeveless vest, with some black, torn jeans, as well as some black boots; on his back, there was a broken single edged broad sword strapped to it and on his face, there was a white, bony mask that had a shape similar to a skull, with two red stripes over the left side of the forehead.

Jinta, seeing that it was the teen, decided to speak up. "Oi! Is that you, carrot top?!" He yelled, but he got no response from the teen. The redhead grit his teeth in annoyance. "Answer me, you damn strawberry!" He yelled, not liking how the delinquent looking teen was ignoring him, until...

_"Dub. Dub. Dub. Dub. Dub. Dub. Dub. Dub"_

A sound, seemed to echo through the place; the sound had piqued Kisuke's curiosity, while Tessai was now alert, same as Ururu. Jinta, however, was a different story.

His eyes had now widened and a bead of sweat travelled down his face, as he was then hit with a wave of Reiatsu, the feeling making it hard to breathe, as the sound that was echoing got louder.

_"Dub. Dub. Dub. Dub. Dub. Dub. Dub. Dub"_

"... what..." A voice whispered.

Now Kisuke was alert, seeing that the voice came from Ichigo; he was now feeling the Reiatsu increase, which made him grasp his cane a bit more tightly, with Tessai now channeling his Reiryoku into his hands in order to cast a Kidö if necessary. Jinta was now looking a bit pale, his breath growing labored, as he was trying to breathe as the Reiatsu became more oppressive.

**_"__Dub. Dub. Dub. Dub. Dub. Dub. Dub. Dub"_**

"... did you..." Ichigo continued.

The air became heavier, as Ichigo started saturating the environment with his Reiatsu, with it becoming more oppressive with each second that passed. Then, Ichigo went and moved his hand towards his face.

**_"DUB. DUB. DUB. DUB. DUB. DUB. DUB. DUB. DUB"_**

"... just call me?" He finished, as he moved the mask upwards, revealing his glowing red irises and his trademark scowl, with at least two tick marks marring his forehead. Jinta was now kneeling on the ground, trying as hard as he could to breathe, but then it stopped when Kisuke jovially opened his fan and covered his mouth with it.

"Oh my! So it seems that you've managed to find your Shinigami powers, congratulations, you've passed the second test!" He said gleefully as he looked at Ichigo curiously.

Silence.

That was all that there was, silence. Then, Ichigo looked at Urahara, his mouth now turning into a thin line.

"... Oi, Hat n' Clogs" The orange haired teen started, making the shopkeeper hum in curiosity. This time, Ichigo had a small smile, one that reminded the eccentric pale blonde man of a certain medic, the thought made him shudder.

"... I think I said that once I got out of that pit, I would make you pay, right?... Well, I'm ready to cash in that debt" Ichigo continued as he grasped the hilt of his sword, his eyes gleaming with a sadistic desire.

Kisuke said nothing, opting to stare at the orange haired boy, until his jovial expression returned.

"Excellent! Then this means that we can now move on towards the next test!" He exclaimed, and gave a look to his three co-workers, which they understood immediately as they suddenly left, leaving Ichigo and him alone, standing a few feet away from each other in the basement. The shopkeeper then held his cane upwards, as his hat shadowed his eyes. "The next test is also a simple one, Kurosaki-san, all you need to do is just knock down my hat with your Zanpakutou; there's no time limit, so don't feel rushed in doing so" He explained the rules, as Ichigo stared impassively at the pale blonde haired man.

That is, until Ichigo suddenly exploded into motion, quickly unsheathing his broken sword as he waved his arm downwards for a swing; the hat wearing man dodged to the side with little effort, but then he noticed a small gash on the rim of his bucket hat. He gave Ichigo a smile.

"Very good, Kurosaki-san! Even a broken sword can hold a lot of power" He compliments the teen, but Ichigo ignored it.

Said teen remained on the offensive, trying to cut that ridiculous hat down, but the other male would just dodge without any problems. After a few attempts, he jumped back, now staring at the mysterious man that offered to help him save Rukia from her unjust fate. His eyes narrowed as he then saw the man pull out a thin sword from the interior of the cane, his mind trying to come up with a valid explanation.

_'I can't let my guard down around this man, first, he suddenly shows up, saying how he wants to help me save Rukia for no reason, then he has this much information about Soul Society that I am certain someone without connections wouldn't have; then he has a massive pit in his basement that nobody seems to know about. With that in mind, who the hell knows what a thin sword like that could_ _do' _He thought as the man now held it in a relaxed grip.

Ichigo suddenly swung his sword to the left, just in time as the shopkeeper suddenly appeared beside him, arm already swinging down as his blade was blocked by the broken sword; Kisuke could easily say that he was a bit surprised.

"Color me impressed, Kurosaki-san. Not many have such good instincts like you do to even block such a fast attack, but don't think that this is it" With that said, Urahara suddenly started running around Ichigo at speeds that the orange haired teen could barely keep up; the teen would dodge left and right, managing to narrowly dodge each swing, but as time passed, he was beginning to get a bit more frantic in his dodging, which had nearly costed him his life, since Kisuke had managed to land a cut near Ichigo's face, causing the bony mask to break.

Urahara stared at Ichigo as said teen tried to get some space after that attack. "You're losing your composure, Kurosaki-san" He chastised, which made the resident delinquent narrow his eyes at the man.

"Well, it's hard not to when you have a blade threatening to kill you with one misstep by a shrewd man with a stupid bucket hat" Ichigo couldn't help but sass at the man in front of him, his patience now running thin. Said shrewd man just smirked at the boy, making Ichigo's eyebrow twitch as he could feel the man mocking through it.

"No, Kurosaki-san, what happens is that you're taking me too lightly; if you truly wish to beat this test, then you must come at me with everything that you've got; you must come at me with the intent to kill" Kisuke said, as he then motioned his blade upwards. _"... Okiro, Benihime"_ Just as he said those words, the thin blade transformed before Ichigo's eyes.

Now the hilt of the sword became curved and was wrapped in red bandages with a ribbon attached to the pommel of it, it also had a golden guard in the shape of an 'U', the blade itself had elongated, its color shifting from the shining silver to a deadly black. Once the transformation ended, there was a subtle shift in the owner's demeanor, as if something that was hidden was now able of peeking through a crack; Ichigo was hit by a feeling of déjà-vu, then he remembered where he had seen something like that.

_"Hoero__,__ Zabimaru!"__ Shouted Renji, then his Katana had went through a transformation; now his Katana had turned into a large, curved, segmented sword that had spikes protruding from the blunt edge. The red haired man noticed Ichigo's shock and openly laughed. "HAHAH! Look at you! You don't even seem to know that a Zanpakutou could do that! How pathetic!"_

"A... a Zanpakutou's name..." Ichigo muttered, looking on in awe as the blade shimmered with the light of the place.

"Correct, Kurosaki-san; all Zanpakutous have a name, and my own Zanpakutou's name is _Benihime, the Crimson Princess_" Just as Kisuke said that, he jumped into motion.

The teenage boy was now even more hard pressed into dodging, as when Kisuke nearly cut him, the big rock that was formerly behind him was obliterated from the sheer force behind it; and so, the same pattern followed, until Ichigo decided that he had enough, and blocked one of the pale blonde man's swings with his sword, said blade cracking from the impact. Once again, Kisuke was surprised.

"Even with my Shikai, you still decided to block it; I must commend you for your courage, Kurosaki-san, however, against someone like me, and with a Zanpakutou like that..." The shopkeeper complimented, however, as he started adding more force into the clash, Ichigo's blade started cracking more and more, much to the teen's shock. "... That is nothing short of a false bravado" And with a last push, Ichigo's sword shattered completely, leaving only the hilt in the teen's hands as the shards surrounded.

Ichigo was shaken to the core, his Zanpakutou was broken so easily by the man. "H-H-How?..." He stuttered, all the while the man just stared at him through the shadows that were cast by the hat, giving him a predatory appearance.

"You may not know this, but you just got a _very minor _increase in power; your power did not cement, it only bloated into the shape of a sword, that's why it was so easy for me to break it" Urahara said, as he now pointed _Benihime_ at the boy. "Now, you've got no sword, and you still have to cut down my hat; how will you do that? How will you beat the test? Because this is no longer a game of guts and courage, and if you even dare to use that toy against me, then I will kill you" To further reinforce his statement, the man exerted some of his Reiatsu, further frightening the boy.

Ichigo was now forced to run away, moving his body away from the shopkeeper's swings, constantly dodging as he tried to think of what to do. _'Dammit! Is this how I die?! Like a deer being chased by a lion?! How- how shameful...' _He thought to himself as he then tried to hide behind a rock, gasping for air as his body started trembling. _'Am I... am I truly so weak, that all I can do is just run away from my problems?' _He thought to himself, his frustration manifesting himself in the form of shameful tears that threatened to spill out.

"... What bothers you, Ichigo?" A familiar voice rang through the air, making Ichigo's now red eyes widen, as the world suddenly turned into gray, then it shifted into the place where he found his Shinigami powers; his eyes then turned to look at the same man from before, as he walked towards the teenager, the figure's crimson, pupiless eyes boring into his own new red eyes. "Why do you run? Why do you hesitate?" The man queried, but Ichigo did not respond.

He stayed like that, quiet, until he looked down and sighed in reluctant acceptance. "... Because I am weak" He muttered. The man cocked his head, curiosity clear in his eyes, which prompted Ichigo to continue. "I'm weak, I was too weak to save my mother from death, I was too weak to save Inoue's brother, I was too weak to free mom from the clutches of Grand Fisher, I was too weak to save Rukia, and now I'm too weak to even cut down a stupid bucket hat... I really am pathetic, aren't I?" He rhetorically asked, then let out a mirthless chuckle. He may not have noticed, but the earth started trembling a small bit.

The man stared at Ichigo, his blank expression not telling anything on his thoughts, until... "... Were you weak, when you helped Chad?" The man's sudden question halted Ichigo's depressive train of thought, as well as the tremors.

"... Huh?" It was all that he could say, as the man then continued.

"Were you weak, when you saved your family from that Hollow? Were you weak, when you saved that kid from that spider Hollow that day at the park? Were you weak, when you managed to save that girl, Orihime, and made her brother come to his senses? Were you weak, when you protected Chad and that soul, Shibata from the evil clutches of the Hollow Screecher? Were you weak, when you saved the city from that Menos Grande that you cut down?" As the man finished, Ichigo then remembered those moments, remembering how he had felt when he managed to live up to his namesake.

"... What is your point, mister?" He couldn't help but ask, and the man put a hand on his shoulder; Ichigo could feel the comforting feeling of it, he couldn't help but somewhat lean more into it.

"... Life will always put walls in our way, Ichigo, but that happens, not because we are meant to stop, but because we are meant to overcome them; whenever you see a wall, Ichigo, you either climb it, or you break through it" The man said, and Ichigo couldn't help but stare at the man, his words were filled with such wisdom. "... There will be times where you will feel as if you're weak, helpless, like right now, but remember this, there's always a solution. Do not fear, Ichigo, for you're not alone in this; I, am here, and together, we can overcome _anything_" He continued, and the man was now grasping the hilt of the Nodachi, which he started to slowly unsheathe it. "If the enemy is strong, then get stronger; if the enemy is fast, then be faster; if the enemy is durable, then try to last longer than him. Remember these words, Ichigo: _Hit first, hit fast, hit hard, hit last. _And lastly, there will always be moments in life when we will be met with ceilings; the goal, Ichigo, is to _break through them; not even the sky is the limit_" As the man finished, the Nodachi was now fully unsheathed, and was now pointed straight at Ichigo's heart, yet the teen did not fear.

A lone tear, fell from the orange haired boy's eye, as he took the man- no, _his Zanpakutou's_ words to heart, and nodded determinedly, as he now grasped the blade, all the while he stared into the Zanpakutou's eyes.

"Now go and give him hell, Ichigo" The man said with a smirk, as Ichigo nodded.

"I will..." Whatever words came out of Ichigo's mouth, they could not be heard, but if the man's face of glee was anything to go by, then it pleased the Zanpakutou spirit. Once Ichigo finished, he stabbed himself with the sword, as his vision slowly turned into white, with the last thing that he saw, being the man's smile.

"... Call me Alex..."

* * *

Everything was now quiet, as Kisuke had destroyed the rock Ichigo was hiding behind, but he stopped himself as the boy was standing still, seemingly out of it; Tessai, Jinta and Ururu were watching from the sidelines, with the red haired kid now tapping his foot impatiently.

"Oi! What happened?! Why did the two of you suddenly stop?!" He yelled indignantly, trying to figure out why they stopped, but then...

**_"Dub. Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub. _****_Dub."_**

That infernal sound started echoing once again, as a sudden wave of Reiatsu fell upon them, and even Tessai was a bit tense from it; Ururu was now trembling, whereas Jinta was now whimpering like a scared dog and trembling like a leaf in a hurricane. Kisuke however, had a face of clear surprise, as his blade twitched a bit, then he was thoroughly shocked as Ichigo's outfit was now having orange stripes form on the shirt and jacket; unbeknownst to the shopkeeper, those stripes held the same design as Ichigo's Zanpakutou's outfit.

**_"DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB. _****_DUB"_**

The sound became louder as the stripes were now emitting an orange-ish aura, which further unnerved them all, but oddly to Kisuke, his Zanpakutou was vibrating in... elation?

Then, everything went deadly quiet, the Reiatsu went away; nobody moved, no one dared to even make a sound, until Ichigo stirred; then the pressure came back with a vengeance, as Ichigo then turned his body, his eyes narrowed, as they bore dangerously into the shopkeeper's eyes and his arm, the one holding the hilt, was now pointing said thing at him.

**ゴ**

**ゴ**

**ゴ**

**ゴ**

**ゴ**

**ゴ**

**ゴ**

**ゴ**

**ゴ**

**ゴ**

**ゴ**

**ゴ**

**ゴ**

**ゴ**

**ゴ**

**ゴ**

**ゴ**

**ゴ**

**ゴ**

**ゴ**

_"...__ Itokuma..."_ He whispered, as the winds started kicking up around his body, then he threw his head back and _roared _to the skies.

**_"... AKAIJOO!"_**

A pillar of black, white and red Reiatsu suddenly emerged around Ichigo, the same type as the one when he found his powers; it was more than enough to make the training ground tremble, which had surprised everyone that was seeing it. The winds had also nearly sent Kisuke's hat flying, which he then clutched his hat in his hand as he tried to keep it on top of his head, until the winds calmed down, however, it had also kicked up a cloud of dirt, of which he got rid of if with a wave of his sword, revealing a new change in Ichigo, who was kneeling on the ground.

Ichigo was now wearing an almost identical replica of his Zanpakutou's clothes, with the difference being that the stripes were orange instead of red, while the symbol on his back looked almost like the mask that he formerly donned when he came out of the pit, but the biggest change came from his sword, which was perpendicular to his kneeling body.

It was a single edged bastard sword that was about 4 feet long, with the tip being curved and it curved outwards, covering the circular guard on the front, but in the back, the sword was bulkier, with what seems to be 3 holes on it. The hilt was about a hand and a half long, covered in maroon leather, and it had an iron pommel, however, the most catching detail of the sword, was that it was covered in tribal lines, with the part covering the guard having the design of a rose.

Ichigo slowly got up, the sword now gleaming with the light, as he stared downwards. "... Oi, Teme-Ahou..." Ichigo trailed off, making Kisuke huff slightly at the insult directed at him, but he put it aside, as Ichigo slowly raised his sword up, which when it was at its zenith, the same Reiatsu torrent emerged once again, but this time, Ichigo's body was not shrouded by it, instead, it was his blade. "I pray that you dodge this, or else, you'll die" Without another word, Ichigo suddenly exploded into motion, charging against Kisuke and promptly slashed when he was 3 feet within range, releasing the Reiatsu surrounding the blade.

**_"Nake, Benihime!"_** Shouted the shopkeeper, swinging his own blade, which was now covered in a red aura, towards Ichigo's, and when they clashed, the area surrounding them was enveloped by a big explosion, which made the entire field tremble; Tessai immediately summoned a barrier around himself and the children, just in time since when the pressure hit it, it started cracking, much to his surprise.

It took about a few seconds for everything to calm down, and when it did, the results left them shocked. Ichigo had _Akaijoo_ stabbed on the ground as he, funnily enough, was sleeping on it; he seemed to have some scratches and bruises, but the most shocking part would be Kisuke's state.

The man was sprawled on the floor, his clothes were in tatters, a big gash was on his chest, which went up from his shoulder and down to his hip, _Benihime_ had resealed herself and his hat was nowhere to be seen.

They were snapped out of their shock by a pained chuckle, which made them look at the source, and saw Kisuke chuckling on the floor as he grunted, slowly getting up while occasionally flinching from the pain.

"He... he... perhaps it was me... who took him lightly..." He muttered to himself as Tessai, Jinta and Ururu went to aid him.

As they treated his wounds, the man in question looked down at his exposed chest, where there was a strange symbol on his bicep. Even to him, the symbol looked alien, having an abstract shape that didn't look like anything that he had seen, but he still understood what it was meant to do.

_'Do you... do you think that he might be the one, Beni-chan?'_ Kisuke asked his Zanpakutou, whom, much to his surprise, spoke up immediately.

_"Are you kidding me, Kisu-chan?! Of COURSE he is!! __Not only does he look good, but his power is just _soo~ intense~. _He's a keeper, Kisu-chan, don't let that hunk get away!!" __Benihime _responded to his question, which had honestly surprised the man. His Zanpakutou was usually a laid back, spoiled woman with some deadly tantrums, this was the first time he had ever seen her get this excited.

This only brought more questions to the man, as he stared at the new puzzle that has presented itself in the form of Kurosaki Ichigo.

_'Just what are you, Ichigo?' _The man thought as he was finally patched up.

Without another word, he motioned Tessai to pick up the boy's body and once the tanned man did it, they all went up to the shop.

* * *

**CR: And there you have it, the prologue of "Return Of The Blood Lord".**

**Alex: So, I'm a Zanpakutou?**

**CR: That's right, you are now Ichigo's Zanpakutou, which I believe will make some interesting changes now that the butterfly effect started kicking in.**

**Alex: And where was that?**

**CR: As mentioned above, Ichigo had developed a minor case of masochism, as well as a fascination with blood, both which, may seem a bit weird, but overall can be shrugged off, but it was those things that had made this radical change.**

**Alex: Alright, now, how the hell did Kisuke get hurt like that?**

**Kisuke: Yeah!! He killed my poor hat!!**

**Ichigo: More like I did the world a service by getting rid of it.**

**Kisuke: HEY!!!**

**CR: Enough! Now, as for why Kisuke got hurt so much... well, let's just say it was a bad match up. Well, as for you my dear viewers, please give a fave, a follow and a review, please point out any mistakes I may have made or if there are some parts that I can improve.**

**_Smell ya' later_**


	2. Red Queen

**Alex: Well, I didn't expect you to touch this fic again.**

**CR: Oh, I prodded this chapter there and there, it's just that after Game Time, many of my fics got into the backburner because I was hit with a _serious_ writer's block, which sucks.**

**Alex: Tell me about it. Either way, I hope this works.**

**CR: *sigh* So do I...** **On with the reviews.**

_A Queen Among Women_**: **_Ooh, this is looking to be a good read__! I'm super excited to read more from you!_

**Thank you, it makes me happy that you think so.**

_OmegaRealism: Bye bitch, I hate garbage_ _people and authors like you._

**... Dare da teme?**

_reverse-plegue: is there going to be more?... if so... please._

**Yes, there shall be more.**

**CR: And that's about it for the moment, this story did get some good reception, hopefully I don't screw this up.**

"Speech"

_"Zanpakutou Speech/Flashback"_

_'Thoughts'_

_Zanpakutou Name_

_"Shikai Release"_

**"Hollow Speech"**

**_"Kidö Incantation/Special Ability_**

**_"Bankai Release"_**

**_"SCREAMS"_**

**That is all.**

**_On With The Show_**

* * *

Ichigo groaned as he slowly opened his eyes, only to be met with the reddish orange cloudy sky of his Inner World. He got up slowly while rubbing the back of his head. _'Man, what happened? The last thing I remember is that I was facing against Hat n'- Hat n' Clogs! The test! Dammit, I must've lost then...' _He thought, then his expression turned sour as he thought of his failure.

At that moment, the earth started to tremble, which snapped him out of his mood. "Woa-woah-woahoh!" He yelled as he was trying to remain standing; after a while, the quaking stopped, which made him release a sigh of relief, then he shook his head.

"Alright then, so from what I can gather, I'm back in my Inner World, but the question is, where's Alex?" He asked himself as he turned around, trying to find a glimpse of his Zanpakutou Spirit.

As he did so, he noticed a tiny triangular shape in the distance, which made him narrow his eyes as he tried to identify the object; seeing that he could not from a distance, he started walking towards it. As he approached the object, he found out that the object was in fact- _wait, a tent?_

Indeed, it was a zipped up camping tent, with a small bonfire right next to it and two logs, one on each side of the fire; suddenly, the tent zipped down, making Ichigo reach for his sword, eyeing the tent warily, but then sweatdropped as he saw his Zanpakutou Spirit come out of it with a thermos in hand. Said spirit noticed him as he stepped out and gave the orange haired teen a smile.

"Oh, hey Ichigo, I wasn't expecting you to come here until later, guess I was wrong" He greeted Ichigo, though the way he spoke was much more casual, a stark difference from the aloof, motivational tone that he used beforehand.

Ichigo was starting to think that his Zanpakutou was strange.

"Heh, you don't know the half of it" Alex suddenly said, making the teen nearly choke on his _(imaginary)_ spit as he stared at the tanned man. Was it just him or did he just-

"Yes, I read your thoughts, I'm a part of you, what were you expecting?" The spirit deadpanned, making the teen blush from the embarrassment.

Oh dear, now he wouldn't have any privacy.

Fortunately for the flustered teen, the spirit did not give another comment, though he did point to the log that was on the other side of the bonfire, motioning Ichigo to sit on it.

The boy hesitated a bit, though after getting a look from his Zanpakutou, he relented, quietly sitting on the log as he stared at the bonfire.

It was completely silent, the two of them just sitting there, staring at the fire; then, Ichigo decided to speak.

"So... I lost, huh?" He said, which made Alex raise his head to loom at him, but said nothing. Ichigo continued. "I must've been knocked unconscious by Geta-Boshi and failed. I guess it makes sense, he is after all, much stronger than I am" He said, staring at the fire.

Alex just stared at him, before sighing. Before Ichigo knew it, he felt the back of his head being whacked by something, sending him flying a few feet away. **_"GAGHR!"_** He yelped as he skid on the floor, head rising to look at his Zanpakutou Spirit incredulously. "What the **_FUCK?!_** Why did you suddenly whack me you-" He yelled at the other male, but Alex then leveled a glare at him, his eyes gleaming ominously at Ichigo, making the boy freeze up.

**_"Shut up"_** He said, further freezing Ichigo up. The spirit then walked towards him, an annoyed glare plastered on his face, but once he got just a few feet away from the teen, he pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, letting his annoyance flow out through it. He then looked at his wielder with exasperation. "You need to stop brooding and jumping into conclusions, Ichigo; you did not lose the test, in fact, I would go as far as to say you aced it" He explained, much to Ichigo's confusion.

"I passed? What do you mean? Didn't I fall unconscious?" He questioned, and he earned a nod from the spirit as he walked back to the bonfire, motioning Ichigo to do the same.

"You did, but not because Urahara had beaten you, but because you had instinctively used a technique that you weren't ready to use. In fact, you not only disintegrated his hat, but you also nearly _killed _him" He replied, which surprised Ichigo, as the teen did not expect to nearly kill the man.

Perhaps the shopkeeper wasn't as strong as he thought?

"No, I reiterate, he only underestimated you, something that I am certain will not happen again" Alex pointed out, which spooked the teen slightly, but not as much as before, and he nodded in response.

They once again reached the bonfire and then sat on their respective logs, which reminded him of something.

"Oh, yeah, Alex? How is it that you suddenly have a tent? I mean, at first there was absolutely nothing" Ichigo asked, and the spirit smiled.

"Now that, Ichigo, ties into what your Inner World represents" He started, as he then motioned to their surroundings. "You see, Ichigo, when you first got here, were you confused as to why it was so empty?" He asked, earning a nod from his wielder, which he returned.

"Well then, to explain this in a simple manner, the state of your Inner World represents your growth; when you first got here, you did not possess your true powers yet, so it was obvious as to why it was so darn empty. Then, once you heard my name, your Inner World slightly evolved, which created this tent that I now live in" He explained, and Ichigo nodded, understanding the logic.

Alex continued when he saw his wielder pay rapt attention to him. "Now, Ichigo, the more your soul grows, the more you learn from me, the more your Inner World will evolve; therefore, this tent could potentially become a cottage, then a house, then a mansion, then an apartment building, and so on and so on until it becomes a _skyscraper, _got it?" He said, and Ichigo once again, nodded.

However, Alex then adopted a solemn expression. "But whenever you feel despair, the earth starts trembling, your fears crumble down your foundations, and in turn, you lose your strength" He revealed, horrifying Ichigo, but not because he would lose his strength.

But because he now understood that this tent was _Akaijoo's_ home, and in his desperation, he would destroy it.

With that in mind, Ichigo gave a grim nod, which the Zanpakutou appreciated. Then, the teen decided to change the topic. "So, in regards to my powers..." Ichigo trailed off, but his Zanpakutou easily caught his wielder's question.

"Oh, that is pretty easy to explain; as it happens, the Sasuke wannabe _(cue a snort)_ did not destroy your Shinigami powers, he had in fact destroyed the powers that Rukia had given you" Explained Alex with a tinge of annoyance at the reminder of the prick that nearly bisected his wielder. Ichigo nodded, opting to let his partner finish.

Noticing the silence, he continued. "However, her own powers were dampening your own, so when he destroyed her powers, it unlocked yours. All you needed to do was just reach for them" He finished, which made Ichigo adopt a contemplative expression.

The teen processed the information that was given to him for a few moments, but then a question arose in his mind. He looked at his Zanpakutou with a questioning gaze. "I guess that makes sense, but what doesn't make sense is how is it that I have my own Shinigami powers to begin with. I remember Rukia once telling me that it is usually inherited, but if I have them, then from whom did I inherit them?" Ichigo questioned, although what was left unsaid was that the teen somewhat suspected it to be from his father at least. Alex smirked as he caught Ichigo's suspicion and nodded.

"As you said it, a person can only have Shinigami powers if they're inherited; and as you suspect it, your powers indeed come from your father" Was his response, which somewhat surprised Ichigo, since the teen's suspicion was a minor one that he had brushed off at one point, although he supposed it made sense in a weird way.

His father, Kurosaki Isshin, was oddly resilient; often being on the receiving end of multiple beatings _(be it from Ichigo himself or his sister Karin)_, and yet he would always get up without a single scratch. Not to mention the times he would fly out the window whenever he would sneak up on the orange haired boy.

Ichigo shook his head as he realized that he was zoning out, and nodded at the other male's statement. "I guess it makes sense" He idly commented as he looked back at the bonfire.

However, Alex did not stop there. "Actually, that's not all of it..." He trailed off, surprising his wielder once again.

"What do you mean? Is there someone else that has Shinigami powers like my dad? Maybe my grandma? Grandpa? Perhaps- wait... did my mom have Shinigami powers?" Ichigo barraged his Zanpakutou with questions, although at the last part there was some hesitation.

Alex stared at his wielder for a few seconds, then he shook his head. "None of them had Shinigami powers, your mother even less" He replied, which made the teen sigh in relief; however, the Zanpakutou adopted a mischievous expression as he then continued.

"... Instead, your mother had _Quincy _powers"

Ichigo froze, his eyes were as wide as saucers and he had paled so much that you could only see his hair; the sight was so comical that the older boy couldn't help but cackle at the sight of his wielder, snapping him out of his shock in the process, but it also got him upset.

_"Fucking great,_ now I'm related to that pompous ass; just please don't tell me that I'll have to wear his weird clothes too..." Ichigo grumbled in misery as he curled into a ball and a black cloud formed above his head. The sight made Alex laugh even harder, to the point that he was kneeling in the ground, tears falling from his eyes as he pointed at the teen, further annoying him.

"THAT'S NOT FUNNY! WHO WOULD WEAR SUCH RIDICULOUS CLOTHING?! I MEAN, A CAPE?! WHAT AM I, A NERD?!" Ichigo roared at his Zanpakutou Spirit, whom had at that point calmed down enough, although he still giggled.

"E-hehe, oh that was hilarious. I haven't laughed that hard in years" Alex said, then he got serious once more. "But back on track, I wasn't kidding when I said that your mother had Quincy powers. You will have to eventually confront your father about that" He recommended.

Ichigo nodded, but he was still annoyed because of his Quincy heritage, and it bled through his voice. "Got it. Now, anything else I should know? Like perhaps me being a Hollow?" He questioned, but when Alex sheepishly looked to the side, Ichigo gaped at him. "No way... am I... am I really a Hollow?" The teen hesitantly spoke, his hands subconsciously reaching for his chest, to which the older male approached him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder, effectively calming him down.

"Ichigo, do not fear your own power. Sure, the way your powers came to be is... unorthodox, but it will only hurt your loved ones if you let it. Don't fear it, don't scorn it; instead, embrace it. For this power is a part of you, and if you reject a part of you, you will only hinder yourself" Alex said, to which Ichigo nodded in response. The Zanpakutou clapped once and his hand then took out his blade, which was somehow stuck to his back.

"Now, as for my blade, well, I suppose that you're wondering what I can do, right?" Said Alex, which the teen nodded.

"Well, my abilities are... somewhat complicated, and they all tie into another skill which can form a new one. But first, you must learn how to use me" As he said that, he got up once more and motioned Ichigo to do the same.

The orange haired boy obliged, then the two started walking away from the tent; after a few moments, Alex stopped, prompting Ichigo to do the same, which also made him notice that they were quite far away from Alex's tent.

He did not take long to voice his doubts. "Say, uhh Alex, why are we far from the tent?" He asked, to which Alex turned to look at him.

"One thing that I didn't mention is that by awakening me, your soul has become stronger. If we spar near my home it would end up getting wrecked" Ichigo only scratched the back of his head sheepishly at the obvious response.

"Yeah, dumb question, sorry"

"Don't be. Now, first thing's first, Ichigo. Before you know what I can do, as I said, you must learn how to wield me properly. Do you remember how you would fight against Hollows?" The teen pondered, but he then nodded affirmatively.

"Well, what you were doing was just swinging around. To fight with a blade involves a lot of movement, it's not just your arms, but your entire body as well. My fighting style is pretty basic, but there's one key factor that makes it efficient" Alex explained as he then pointed his blade towards his wielder.

Ichigo was curious now. "And what's that?" At that very moment, the Zanpakutou adopted a predatory grin and suddenly appeared before the teen, sword high up above his head as if going for a downwards swing.

**_"Momentum"_**

Ichigo's only salvation was that his instincts were sharp, honed by many years of street fighting, which allowed him to quickly brandish his own sword and block the incoming strike, but the sheer strength of it made his knees buckle. With a grunt of effort, the teen pushed back his Zanpakutou's sword, but as the spirit was thrown back, he twirled his body around, his arm swinging the blade once more for a horizontal slash.

Ichigo swung his sword at the same time, resulting in both blades clashing with a loud _'clank; _they remained in that position for a few moments, but then Alex spun again as he struck the blade, pushing his wielder back from the power behind that swing. The Zanpakutou charged forward, and all Ichigo could do was just block the swings, which became stronger and faster with each swing as Alex kept twirling like a ballerina. It was then that the orange haired boy understood what his Zanpakutou meant with _'momentum'_

_'Each time he leans a bit too much on his swings so that he could use the momentum to make it faster and hit harder, however the level of balance required to make it passable, barely that is, is shocking; it just shows how Zanpakutous truly understand themselves' _Ichigo analyzed as Alex went for an upwards swing, but the teen dashed back, arm prepared to swing as he narrowly dodged the attack.

With a dash, Ichigo swung widely, creating an arc of silver from the sheer speed, which had fortunately hit Alex, his shirt now having a long gash that basically ruined it, but oddly enough, no blood. Alex could only chuckle, as his shirt was sewn back together, surprising the teen as Alex's eyes now held a glint on them.

"Good Ichigo, good. Now you understand just how momentum can help you hit harder and faster. However, this is nothing, compared to what I can truly do" Remarked the Zanpakutou as he charged.

Ichigo did the same, as both males were now on striking range, arms swinging forward as their blades craved for the battle to continue...

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Real World, Kisuke was staring at the prone form of his new, prodigious student.

Kurosaki Ichigo was an enigma, a kid that once had been a soft, cheerful boy that always clung to his mother; now, a budding young man that is rough around the edges, combined with a strange case of masochism, not to mention, a perfect hybrid of Shinigami, Hollow and Quincy. But that's not what intrigued the scientist, no...

The boy's awakening, it was odd. At first, when he jumped out of the pit, his outfit had changed, that was expected, but not the kind of clothing he was expecting. Kisuke was expecting some sort of variant of the standard Shinigami uniform, that being a black Shikahushö with black Hakama pants, a white Obi, white knee length socks and sandals; instead, the boy was wearing clothes that made him look like one of those cliché thugs that wore punk clothing.

Also, the boy was a lot stronger, if the large amount of Reiatsu that the boy exerted upon Jinta was anything to go by; even with a broken sword, Ichigo was able to block his normal swings, to the point that it took him applying pressure to the sword to make it shatter. Afterwards it went as expected, kid lost his bravado, tried to run to live, but then, he just... stopped.

It made him curious, so he did nothing and watched as Ichigo eventually moved. Then, the pressure came with a vengeance, surprising him because of the potency of it, followed by that ominous aura that he emitted as he released his Zanpakutou, _Akaijoo._

The man had honestly expected Ichigo's Zanpakutou to be a Getsu, like his father's _Engetsu_, but the name really caught his attention. _"Akaijoo: The Red Queen"_, a strange name, one that would have most be confused, but he could feel _Benihime's_ elation when she heard the name. It confused him, since she usually never considered knowing about other Zanpakutous worth her time, however she was excited about his own.

As if she had found some sort of Messiah.

The teen's strength skyrocketed as he released his _Shikai_, and the sword had an appearance that showcased strength and seemed heavy, obviously Ichigo would not be able to utilize a sword style that relies on speed, or so he thought. The boy easily raised the sword over his head, and Kisuke could see the telltale signs of a wave attack being charged _(he would know, after all, Benihime did have such an attack)_, so he prepared himself as he was ready to let _Benihime_ scream.

Then, with an impressive show of speed, Ichigo quickly got near him and unleashed the attack. As planned, the scientist unleashed _Benihime's Nake_ technique, and then set up his other ability: _Chikasumi no Tate (Blood Mist shield)_ for good measure. Again, as expected, Ichigo's attack tore through his _Nake_, and he was content to watch as the _Chikasumi no Tate_ blocked it.

Only for the attack to carve right through it like a hot knife through butter.

The shock that such a thing happened prevented him from dodging it, and it nearly cost his life. As a result, most of his torso was bandaged, as well as his arms, and said boy was now within his body, resting peacefully.

He was getting a bit worried for him, Ichigo had been sleeping for about a day, which is not normal by any means, but the scientist chalked it up to the boy going overboard and his body shut down to recover. Hopefully he would wake up soon.

Just as he thought that, the boy started stirring, groggily opening his eyes while letting out a groan; the blond man quickly donned his happy-go-lucky persona as he smiled at the teen. "Well, well, well, look who's finally awake! It's about time if I must say so" He jovially greeted the orange haired male, who just turned to look at him.

"Hat n' Clogs? How long was I out?" Ichigo asked, and the man huffed.

"Really? Not even going to ask me if I'm alright? After everything you put me through?" His only response was a deadpan. Kisuke sighed. "I expected as much from you. As for how long you were out, I would say about a day" The man explained, earning a single nod from the teen.

"I see..." Ichigo trailed off, noticing how there was something missing in the room, until he realized what it was. "Ne, Hat n' Clogs, where's my body?" He asked the shopkeeper, which said man pulled out his fan and covered his face with it.

"You're currently inside of it, Kurosaki-san; being in your body accelerates your recovery rate, your Zanpakuto disappeared as soon as you got in it as well" Explained the man, and Ichigo nodded.

When the teen tried to feel it, he oddly noticed how his entire body was completely flowing with what seemed to be energy; for a moment he thought that it was his Reiryoku, but he realized after a few moments that it felt different from the spiritual energy; it felt more... familiar to him. He closed his eyes and focused on that energy, and suddenly he somehow got his mouth tasting like iron, and instead of it just being energy, it moved around his body like red veins...

... Hold on.

Ichigo paused, considered the facts that he discovered, and resumed in his examination of the energy, but this time, he paid rapt attention to its' behavior. It flowed through his body at a constant rate, it was a bit slow, but otherwise it didn't have any other effect; when he followed the trail, he discovered that it was on his chest that this energy was coming from, seeing as it was almost glowing like a lightbulb. It pulsed at a rhythmic rate, almost... like a... heartbeat.

The realization struck him harder than Byakuya's blow to his Spirit Core. The energy that he was sensing was blood, _his _blood.

With _Akaijoo,_ he could sense blood.

_"Nice, Ichigo; in just a few minutes you discovered one of the things that I can do without even needing to consult me. That is definitely worth praising" _He suddenly heard Alex speak in his mind, causing him to jolt in his place, surprising the shopkeeper that was still looking at him.

_'Alex?' _Thought the orange haired boy, and he felt a wave of agreement coming from within his soul.

_"The one and only. I was a bit surprised when I felt my soul stir a bit from you using my power of sensing blood, especially when you weren't even aware of its existence. Most other Zanpakutou often whine that they always have to tell their wielders how to use them, and even then, it's mostly them being forced to do that; makes me glad that I am your Zanpakuto"_ Commented the tanned male, which confused the teen.

_'Huh?'_ He asked eloquently. Alex chuckled in response.

_"Don't mind me, I'm just rambling. Still, this will make things much easier from now on" _Said the spirit, and Ichigo nodded discreetly. _"Well, we've got 10 days to train before we invade Soul Society, right?" _For some reason, Ichigo was growing wary of his Zanpakuto's query, as well as excited, and he gave a mental nod. He felt Alex grin, and his fears _(as well as hopes) _came true. _"Then we should make them count. From now on, you'll ask the shopkeeper to train you in Kidö, Hand-to-Hand combat and the Shinigami's swordsmanship during the day. During the night, you'll be checking everything over with me while you sleep. You may feel like shit in the end, but I assure you, it'll be worth it" _Ordered the Zanpakuto, and the teen nodded in agreement.

Needless to say, the next 10 days were pure hell.

* * *

**CR: And CUT! Good job, everyone!**

**Alex: ... So many months, for just a short chapter?**

**CR: Short by our standards, but it's pretty average in terms of length. I admit, I didn't know what the fuck to do with this, so I hope that it's passable at least.**

**Alex: You better pray that's the case.**

**CR: Either way... please leave a Fave, Follow, Review, because those help me a lot. Also, who was that flamer?**

_**Smell ya' later**_


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